Delhi Congress on Tuesday said that the BJP Government at Centre did not sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) following the strident country-wide "do-or-die" opposition against it, which was mounted in the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Party president Subhash Chopra said that the signing of the RCEP agreement would have destroyed the farmers, small-scale shopkeepers and businessmen, labour and lakhs of household industries.
The RCEP bloc comprises 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) group members and their six FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Addressing the media on the present economic crisis in the country, Chopra said that demonetisation had wrecked the economy of the country, and now the country was weighed down by unemployment, shutting down of industries, lay-offs, shrinking savings and bank frauds.
Chopra said that if the Modi Government had listened to the Congress and former Prime Minister and world-renowned economist Dr Manmohan Singh on the demonetisation fiasco, the country's economic condition would not have been in a "ventilator", and the employment rate would not have been in a "coma".
Senior party leader Shatrughan Sinha said that the country was on the verge of a "financial emergency". He said that the sinking economy, shrinking savings, shutting down of businesses and spiraling bank frauds reflect the sad state of affairs of Indian economy under the BJP Government. "Entire country is gasping to breathe, especially Delhi, and hence various sections of the society are "naturally" concerned. There should be "less talk" and people should come up with solutions to bring pollution under control," he said.
Asserting that had India joined the RCEP it would have spelled a disaster, he said the pressure build up by Sonia Gandhi and the Congress stopped it.
It is in national interest of India that it is not joining the RCEP which will save local farmer, small shopkeepers and businesses, Sinha said.